A nursing student from the US state of Alabama was crowned Miss America 2025. Abbie Stockard, 22, who represented Alabama during the 2025 Miss America Pageant, won the title of Miss America Sunday last.
“This is insane,” Stockard said in a video posted on the organization’s Instagram. “I don’t know what I did to deserve this.”
Stockard is a nursing student and former cheerleader at Auburn University, according to social media posts. She was crowned Miss Alabama in June 2024 before moving on to compete in Miss America.
Stockard competed against 51 other delegates from each state, including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
She was one of 11 semi-finalists who were selected to perform their talents, demonstrate fitness, model evening gowns and answer thought-provoking questions.
She then moved on to the final five, who answered questions about the job of Miss America before she was crowned as the winner.
The runners-up were the following, according to Miss America’s Instagram account:
1st Runner Up – Miss Texas, Annette Addo-Yobo
2nd Runner Up – Miss Tennessee, Carley Vogel
3rd Runner Up – Miss Florida, Casana Fink
4th Runner Up – Miss Ohio, Stephanie Finoti
Stockard, who won Miss America, talked about how her mother inspired her by juggling several jobs to raise her and her friend who is struggling with cystic fibrosis. She also expressed her desire to earn a PhD IN anaesthesia and specialise in paediatrics.
However, her moment was long gone because of the decision to stream the event on YouTube, a significant shift from its previous broadcasts on major networks like NBC, ABC, and Peacock. This move raised concerns among some viewers about the pageant’s visibility and accessibility, as reported by Daily Mail.
In another incident in the competition held on Sunday, finalists were asked to debate randomly assigned topics ensuring the interviews showcased their ability to think on their feet. However, the segment on censorship was momentarily overshadowed by an unfortunate mishap—an apparent typo displayed on the screens surrounding the stage. The error drew attention away from the important discussion at hand, as reported by Mirror US.
